Local celebrity chef Aiden Byrne cooked up a bidding frenzy at a local charitable event when he offered up not one, but three auction prizes.
The Michelin starred chef pledged his support to the East Cheshire Hospice at ‘The Meal of Your Life’ event in association with Lloyds Bank Corporate Markets, by offering an auction prize to personally cook for 8 people in a private dining experience in the winning bidders own home. The bidding exceeded expectations, reaching a £1,300 sum, prompting the chef to generously treble his prize offering resulting in an amazing £3,900 total for the worthy charity.
On the night Aiden also took his place in the kitchen at the venue, The Mere in Knutsford, alongside other local chefs, to serve an exquisite feast. Diners were treated to Aiden’s mouth-watering main course of roasted breast of mallard with dried red fruits, ginger bread and cured foie gras with a vegetarian option of a ballotine of leeks and truffle with hazelnut vinaigrette. When asked about his involvement, Aiden comments, “I am a great believer in supporting causes that are right on your doorstep and East Cheshire Hospice provide such amazing services and support for local people. The concept for the event really enticed me to step up as I am so passionate about my industry.”
He continues, “With the bidding reaching the impressive level that it did coupled with the enthusiasm in the room, I felt it would be of great financial benefit to the charity to extend the prize offering. I’m really pleased that I was able to help the charity and urge others to get involved.”
The event raised over £25,000 in total which will help the Hospice greatly as they have to fundraise nearly £6,000 each and every day in order to continue to provide their essential local services free of charge to the local community.
Ends Date: 17 October 2011 Further information about Aiden Byrne please contact: Stephanie Jones, Mood Design Solutions T: 01925 752500 or E: steph@mood-design.co.uk For further information regarding the East Cheshire Hospice please contact: Fiona Beasley on T: 01625 666991 or E: fbeasley@echospice.org.uk Notes about the charity: East Cheshire Hospice cares for adults suffering from life-limiting illnesses from which there is no cure. We care for the whole person, aiming to meet all needs, whether they are medical, emotional or spiritual or around the challenges of daily-living. We support families and carers throughout what is often a difficult period. Supported by over four hundred volunteers, East Cheshire Hospice is based in Macclesfield and cares for people throughout East Cheshire and parts of North Derbyshire. Our mission is to make every day count for our patients and those important to them. Staffed by specialist nurses, doctors and support staff, we have a 15 bed in-patient unit where patients can stay for end of life care, rehabilitation, symptom control or respite care. The unit is open 7 days a week, 24 hours a day. We have a busy Day Care Centre which helps local people continue to live independently at home. A registered charity, all our services are free. However, the hospice receives less than 23% of its costs from government and so has to fundraise almost £6,000 every single day of the year simply to maintain the current provision. Visit www.eastcheshirehospice.org.uk for more information. Notes about Aiden Byrne: Aiden Byrne was head chef at The Grill at The London Dorchester from late 2006. He was previously Tom Aiken’s head chef at his Chelsea restaurant and has worked with several other high profile chefs such as Paul Rankin and David Adlard. In addition to Tom Aiken’s eponymous restaurant, Aiden has worked at Pied á Terre in London, Adlard’s in Norwich, Peacock Alley and the Commons in Dublin and Danesfield House in Buckinghamshire. Most impressively, at the age of 22, Aiden became the youngest chef ever to win a Michelin star, and he carries this prestigious accolade with pride. In 2008 he brought his remarkable menu to The Church Green in Cheshire, where he continues to serve high quality British dishes that continue to impress diners and inspire budding chefs alike. His hard work paid off and The Church Green now boasts 3 AA Rosettes. His most recent success came when approached by Macdonald Hotels to create an outstanding British Grill in the 4-star Craxton Wood Hotel in Ledsham, near Chester. He rose to the challenge and after a full refurbishment the 120-cover restaurant opened in July 2011 and achieved 2 AA Rosettes within less than 8 weeks of the opening. Aiden has made numerous TV appearances, including Masterchef, and more recently, The Great British Menu.
